Photography exhibits focus on famous faces

The works of two of the country’s most prominent documentary photographers will
be highlighted in exhibitions opening simultaneously Feb. 15 at the Lamar Dodd
Art Center and LaGrange Art Museum.

“From Congo Square to Symphony Hall” will spotlight photographs by Jim Alexander
and will be housed at the LDAC at the college, while “Retrospective” will feature
photos by Douglas Kirkland and will be at the LAM and the Cochran Gallery downtown.

The opening reception for Alexander will be from 5–7 p.m. at the Dodd. At 7 p.m.,
the LDAC will close and the reception at the LAM and Cochran Gallery will run from
7–9 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Kirkland will present an illustrated lecture at 11:15 a.m. Thursday in the Dickson
Assembly Room. Alexander will return to the college on Feb. 28 for an 11:15 a.m.
gallery talk at Lamar Dodd. Both are cultural enrichment events.

Alexander is celebrated for his work covering the world of African-American musicians
from Duke Ellington to Michael Jackson. His photos have been shown nationally and
internationally for almost 40 years. The Smithsonian has several of his images
in its touring exhibition on the life of Ellington.

A native of New Jersey, Alexander served in the Navy and apprenticed with the
base photographer. After his return to civilian life in 1956, he had many jobs
before taking up photography again in 1964.

He made his reputation as a documentary photographer. Alexander was included in
the city of Atlanta’s Masters Series in 1995 and 2000, and his jazz photos were
featured in a solo exhibit with the National Black Arts Festival.

The recipient of many awards, Alexander operates his own gallery/studio in Atlanta,
and is still a photographer, curator, lecturer and teacher.

“We are so fortunate to have someone of Jim Alexander’s caliber exhibit here at
Lamar Dodd,” said John Lawrence, Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Art and Design.
“He is considered one of the best documentarians of African-American musicians
in the world.”

Douglas Kirkland is renowned for his work in photojournalism, celebrity portraiture
and film photography spanning more than 50 years. This exhibit contains more
than 100 portraits of such celebrities as Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Coco
Chanel and Michael Jackson, as well as stills taken from such iconic films as “The
Sound of Music” (1965), “Out of Africa” (1985), “Titanic” (1997) and “Australia”
(2008.)

Kirkland was born in Canada and spent most of his early professional life working
in New York. He joined Look Magazine in his early 20s, and later worked for Life
Magazine in the 1960s and ’70s. He has also worked on the sets of more than 100
motion pictures.

In 1989, he published “Light Years,” followed by “Icons, Creativity with Camera
and Computer” in 1993. Kirkland had four books published in 1997 – including a
retrospective of his 40-year career. His “James Cameron’s Titanic” was on the New
York Times bestsellers list.

The recipient of many awards, he has had exhibitions in Europe, Australia and
the United States.